Samurai Shodown, known as Samurai Spirits (サムライスピリッツ) in Japan, is the first game in SNK Playmore's popular series of fighting games.

It is set in the late 18th century and all of its characters wield weapons. It also bears comparatively authentic music from the time period and a refined version of the camera zoom first found in Art of Fighting. True to its use of bladed weapons, the game also includes copious amounts of blood.

The game was set in the late 18th century and all of its characters wielded weapons. It also bore comparatively authentic music from the time period and a refined version of the camera zoom first found in Art of Fighting. True to its use of bladed weapons, the game also included copious amounts of blood. Its overall aesthetic drew in the curious, and made SNK many fans.

Samurai Shodown quickly became renowned for its fast pace, focused more on quick, powerful strikes than combos. As to emphasize the distinction of this gameplay system, slow motion was added to intensify damage dealt from hard hits. Also during a match, a referee held flags representing each player (player 1 was white; player 2 red). When a player landed a successful hit, the referee would lift the corresponding flag, letting everyone watching know who dealt the blow. To lessen the repetition of fights, a delivery man running in the background threw items such as chicken (that healed) or bombs, which could significantly change the outcome of a play.